Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State Game Preview

The season has been disappointing for both the Rebels and Bulldogs, with Ole Miss needing a win to become bowl eligible while Mississippi State sits at 4-7 and will miss out on a bowl game.

A shocking 38-17 loss to Vanderbilt greeted Ole Miss last Saturday, as the Rebels running game gave no help to quarterback Shea Patterson, who has taken over for the injured Chad Kelly. Patterson threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in the loss.

Mississippi State was run over by Arkansas, as the Razorbacks gained 661 yards of total offense. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had a huge day in the losing effort, accounting for 459 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.

What To Know About Ole Miss

The future has arrived sooner than thought in Oxford, as Patterson’s redshirt was burned after Kelly suffered a season-ending injury. The freshman has played well, but will need some help from running back Akeem Judd to keep the pressure off and have the Rebels not be so one-dimensional.

The once-feared Ole Miss defense has struggled this season, especially on third down, as the Rebels have allowed opponents to convert 40.12% of the time to keep the chains moving. Finding a way to contain Fitzgerald, who can throw and run, and making over Bulldogs beat them will be crucial.

What to Know About Mississippi State

Fitzgerald accounts for most of the offense, as he leads the Bulldogs in both passing and rushing yards. Finding wide receiver Fred Ross helps alleviate some pressure, though, as Ross has 835 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season.

Mississippi State has had trouble stopping the pass this season, allowing 279.7 yards per game through the air. Forcing Patterson into mistakes would go a long way in the upset bid.

Advantages

Offense: Tie. The Rebels miss the skills of Kelly under center.

Defense: Tie. Both units give up more than 32 points per game.

Special Teams: Ole Miss. Mississippi State kicker Westin Graves has made just 10-of-18 field goal attempts.

Coaching: Tie. These two coaches had strange off seasons that involved heavy criticism for some moves. The seasons haven’t been much kinder.

Intangibles: Ole Miss. It would be a disaster if the Rebels miss out on a bowl game.

Matchup To Watch

Nick Fitzgerald vs. Ole Miss defense

The Rebels defense has one job: stop Fitzgerald from having a huge game.

Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State Betting Odds

Spread: Ole Miss -7.5Over/Under: 68.5

Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State Prediction

Ole Miss had big plans coming into the season, but things have not worked out. Still, the chance to get to a bowl game is there, and more importantly, another month of practice for Patterson. Fitzgerald will have a good game, but he won’t be able to beat the Rebels all by himself. Ole Miss wins and John Grisham remains a happy man.